Blood Ties
by Ceillean
Summary: Alternate Universe. OC's and Kyp Durron. How thick are family bonds? How far are you willing to go to save yourself, to save your honor, to save your status as a Jedi Knight? How far are you willing to go to save your one true love?
1. Chapter 1

"_Don't hold your father up to contempt. After all, you are his son, and it is just possible that you may take after him..."_

**Prologue**

**13 ABY**

Attentively, Nikk listened to the all too known whine of the repulsors as _Lucinda_ touched down on the landing pad. Minutes ticked by while he sat back in his soft leather chair and stared out the viewport, seeing absolutely nothing. The scenery was beautiful, of course. Surrounding the landing pad, tall trees swayed with the wind, white and pink petals spiraled through the air and theoretically, Nikk could see the top half of the mansion where he had grown up.

He just didn't care.

"Welcome home, Sir." The voice over the intercom sounded almost happy that the heir of the Count had returned home. Nikk glanced towards the control tower, wondering how old the boy was who sat there day in day out, directing and re-directing flights that came in at any ungodly hour. Besides _Lucinda_, the landing pad stood packed with other ships, ranging from small one-manned fighters to passenger liners that could hold up to one hundred individuals.

They had all come because of the Count his father.

Nikk reached forward and switched off the comm unit. He didn't feel like talking to anyone – for that matter, he didn't feel like being home. He'd promised his mother, though, and he would never disappoint her. Finding himself back on the very grounds he'd sworn never to set foot on again was disconcerting, if not even completely disturbing. Nikk took a deep breath and raked a hand through his crimson red hair – he dipped into the Force to calm his wrecked nerves.

With his left hand, he dug through his pants pocket and extracted a small black box. After his mother had called him, he'd decided to bring along a small gift, something he knew she would like. Even as a boy, no matter where Nikk had gone to, he'd always returned with a little present for her. Be it a glittering stone he would find near the river or jewels he would buy at the market. Anything to make her smile because she seldom ever did.

This time he'd bought a small, crystal ornament. A trapezoid shape, it reflected light, tossing it out in rainbow colors. Nikk knew she would love it. Once she had told him she had collected trinkets like this but along the way, she had simply never found the time and the will to collect further. Life as the Count's wife had never been easy on her – the last time she had laughed, Nikk had been five years old.

With a sigh, Nikk closed the little box and stuffed it back into his pocket. Throwing his long black cloak over his shoulders, he leaned towards the controls to let down the ramp and with a heavy heart, he made his way to the waiting private speeder that would take him home.

***

Sitting in the back of the black speeder, Nikk sighed and closed his eyes. The view around him was spectacular but he'd seen it all countless times and this never-ending beauty held no meaning to him anymore. This entire life had been built up on deceit and lies – how could he ever find pride in this?

Unlike his father, Nikk could feel a hovering darkness surrounding the mansion, even parts of the capitol city, depending on who resided there. Where the Jedi Academy felt pure and good, his home felt sullied and dark. As a child Nikk had never understood why he had an aching pressure surround his heart the closer he got to his father but now he knew it was corruption he'd felt, a lingering and all-devouring malevolence.

Twenty minutes into the ride home, Nikk could see the black gates looming in front of the speeder. Almost two stories high, the black metal had been carved a generation ago, portraying small angelic creatures flapping through the air with big smiles on their faces. Perhaps it was to give visitors a warming and heartfelt welcome but to Nikk it simply felt wrong. Another one of many lies that made his family seem so perfect on the outside.

The gates parted soundlessly and the driver, a mechanical droid built to look like a human male in his mid thirties, pulled into a long and winding driveway. Native trees lined the paved road, along with small blooming bushes and statues depicting mythical figures from popular legends and fairy tales. Nikk's attention was drawn to the garden complex on the far side of the mansion. Memories assaulted his mind, images he wished he could forget. Sighing, he tore his eyes away and swallowed back vivid curses he'd learned from the very best over the past few years he'd been at the Academy and beyond. His mother would strangle him if she ever heard such talk from him and that small thought actually made him smile.

The speeder pulled up in front of a large set of double doors, the entrance surrounded by four pillars that connected to an oval balcony on the third floor. Before Nikk had even exited the vehicle, the doors flew open and his mother ran out, her black gown billowing behind her. She threw her arms around his neck, holding her son close.

Nikk had to admit, he was more than happy to see his mother again, to hold her. Her scent was the same as he remembered, a vibrant fragrance of roses and sweet spices. Feeling content, Nikk sighed and held her at arms' length. "Mom."

"You've returned." Again, she pulled him into a warm hug, two small tears running down her face. "I didn't think you would."

"I could never disappoint you, mother. Not ever again."

She smiled at him, wiping at her damp cheeks and within seconds, she returned to the regal and proud personality he remembered her to be when dealing with the Count. Nikk was surprised at how old she seemed; there were lines on her face he couldn't remember seeing before, her blue eyes seemed dull and hollow, her skin brittle and pale – she looked ill.

"You've never been a disappointment to me, Nikkolai. Far from." Gently, she reached up and touched his cheek. Her fingers shook and the warmth her touch generated almost overwhelmed him.

"Come inside." She said softly, her face falling. "There is much to be discussed."

***

The grand foyer had always been divinely elegant and beautiful. A large oval fountain stood in the middle, crystal water splashing into the basin below. Plants and more statues lined the glittery walls and an enormous chandelier dangled from the ceiling.

Nikk watched as the staff scurried about the white marbled floor, all of them wearing the black and red colors of mourning. Quietness followed their receding footsteps – their heads bowed to the floor, no one spoke while they carried on with their chores.

Nikk frowned. "Is he dead yet?"

Zhenya Vox slapped his arm and Nikk had to admit it stung. He grimaced at his mother, rubbing the spot where her flat hand had caught him. "Show some respect!" Shaking her head, she heaved a long and tired sigh. "He is still alive. Barely." Zhenya paused while she cleared her throat, watching as Nikk walked towards the marble fountain. "He wishes to see you."

The clicking of his boots stopped abruptly as Nikk turned and stared at his mother. "What for? He's shown and told me countless times what a disgrace he thinks I am."

Zhenya sighed and nodded. She could not even begin to fathom what was going through her son's mind at that very moment. He'd shown more courage than anyone she'd ever known in the course of his young life and to come home even after the Count had banished him…

"It is his dying wish, Nikkolai." She stepped forward and placed a small, delicate hand on his shoulder. "Please. Grant him this wish." Her voice faltered and her hands shook. Zhenya turned away from Nikk, trying her damndest to hide her welling tears.

Nikk felt her inner turmoil through the Force – her pain at losing the only companion she had ever known.

"He doesn't deserve it." Nikk spat through gritted teeth, remembering all the things his father had done to him. The Count had loved to make Nikk feel worthless and below him, he had loved to embarrass Nikk whenever colleagues and friends had been in the vicinity. However, the one thing Nikk would never forgive was the fact that the Count had made sure the woman Nikk loved was out of his reach forever.

Zhenya's face fell and she put her pride aside. She raised her chin and looked him square in the eye, the way she would do when she defied her husband. Nikk had hated it then and he hated it now. "I beg of you, Nikkolai. Please."

"Never beg, Mom." Nikk whispered, appalled. "Never." He evaded her hurting gaze while he watched a few of the staff polish the white stone of the statues, two young woman watered the plants while another cleaned the banister of the long, winding staircase that led to the Count's private domicile.

"There will be more guests arriving soon. Including the military." Zhenya said, noticing Nikk staring. "The mansion needs a good scrub anyway." She hooked her arm through Nikk's and inclined her head towards the staircase. "Come, Nikkolai. Say good-bye to your father."

***

Zhenya sighed as she walked beside her beautiful son. He'd grown into such a handsome young man and it was amazing how much he resembled his father, if only in appearance. His heart was that of a decent and caring man, so much unlike the Count.

"I should wait out here." She said in a low tone as they stood before the entrance to the Counts room, folding her hands in front of her belly and shifting her gaze to the cold, flawless floor.

Nikk lifted her chin with the tips of his fingers and slowly shook his head. "Mom. Don't do this. It's just me."

Zhenya smiled and nodded curtly. She had gotten used to a submissive behavior around the males in the house that she automatically applied it to her son as well. A slight blush surfaced on her pale skin – she felt… embarrassed suddenly.

Nikk turned away from her and took a deep breath to calm himself. It wasn't that he was nervous about seeing his father but he held a grudge against sickness and death in general. That it was the Count beyond the door didn't make a difference to him; a stranger could have been lying in his bed just as well.

He willed the doors open with a nudge from the Force. The controls embedded into the wall flashed green before the doors silently split to the sides. A scent of antiseptics and medications wafted towards him, in its tow the definite ugly stench of sickness and death. Bright light filtered through ceiling high shaded windows, throwing eerie shadows on the thick white carpet.

The bed in the middle of the room was an antique. Nikk remembered it had been in his family for generations. Four posters rose towards the ceiling, each draped with thick white curtains. A medical droid switched into stand-by mode stood in the far corner, its dark blue eyes dimmed but still watching its patient in the bed. A young nurse, barely much older than Nikk, jumped up from a comfortable looking padded chair. She bowed once she recognized Nikk and hurried out of the room.

The ensuing silence was unnerving. Measuring his steps, Nikk walked towards the foot of the bed but still kept his distance. Maksim Vox sat up against a pile of white pillows with his hands folded on his stomach. He looked almost peaceful this way if not for his rasping breaths. Their resemblance still shocked Nikk to the bone – same high cheekbones, same straight nose and prominent jaw line. The Count's skin was pale and ashen and his once dark hair was now snow white.

Nikk could feel the Count's life flickering through the Force. No matter what happened, Maksim wouldn't be around much longer.

The Count opened his eyes and stared at his son's impassive face. Nikk showed no emotions whatsoever, not even in the manner he held himself. Straight back and regal pose, just the way he'd been taught.

"Nikkolai."

"Father." Nikk's tone was more or less dead. He could have just as well been talking to the wall.

Maksim smiled in between small coughs. "I am pleased that you have come."

Nikk smirked and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Anything to please you. _Dad_." His voice dripped with sarcasm while he stared at his creator. The fact that they looked so much alike would always haunt him.

Maksim's strong yet pale blue eyes took on a glow of defiance Nikk knew far too well. He almost laughed – who would ever have thought that someday Nikk would be standing at the deathbed of the person he hated most in his life and bidding him farewell?

"I am dying, Nikkolai."

"I can see that."

Maksim managed a strangled laugh before it gave away into a string of ill sounding coughs. The medical droid in the corner came to life, swiveling its head towards the bed and scanning the patient from afar. Maksim held up a hand as if to calm the droid down and shook his head. He turned his attention back to Nikk, who hadn't moved a muscle.

"I _have_ missed your wit, boy."

"Of course you have." Nikk scoffed turning away from bed and finding the window far more interesting all of a sudden. From up here the view into the gardens was spectacular. The large pool glittered in the warm sun light, red blossoms swam upon the water while black birds picked away at the surrounding foliage.

"Mom said you wanted to see me." He said coldly. "Any particular reason why?"

There was a flicker of hope welling up inside him that Maksim had found it in his heart to accept his only son the way he was. Perhaps, now that the end was drawing near for him, the Count had finally realized the errors of his ways and wanted to patch things up with Nikk before he left forever.

"You are to take my place as Count."

The ever-shrinking flame of hope evaporated in a gust of ice-cold wind. Slowly Nikk turned towards his father, blue eyes narrowed to slits. "What?"

"You are to be my replacement."

"No." And there would be no discussion or argument about it either. "I told you once before I would never return and here I am at your deathbed. I am a Jedi Knight. I will not take your place as Count. Find some other mindless drone to finish up your dirty work for you." He turned on his heel to barge out of the Count's bedroom but Maksim's cracking, soft voice held him back.

"Nikkolai. If you do not step up, your cousin will."

Nikk ran a hand through his hair. "That idiot can't even run his own family, for Force's sake!"

Maksim coughed again, holding both his hands to his mouth. His breath wheezed out of broken and tired lungs. "So you see my predicament."

Hurt and anger collided in on Nikk all at once. He gritted his teeth and balled his hands into fists, holding his arms to his sides. "Yes. I see _your_ predicament. This is not _my_ concern."

"You would leave your people in the hands of your cousin? Do the Jedi not value life? Surely, you must understand that if Vadik takes on the position, the people are in danger. A Jedi protects life, does he not?"

Nikk stared at him, open-mouthed. "This is bordering on black-mail, old man."

"Whatever works." Maksim smiled thinly while Nikk could only hold him in contempt. Another cough ran through the Count's body and this time the medical droid walked over and distributed a drug directly from a syringe attached to its right hand. Maksim quieted down after minutes of agonizing pain – Nikk could feel it reverberating through black threads in the Force.

How odd that Nikk did not care.

"You have a choice to make, son." Maksim said in a low voice, settling back down on the large white pillows. "Either take my place or let Vadik ruin everything I've worked hard to build up." He sighed. "It's your decision."

Without another word, Nikk stormed out of his father's chambers.

Two days later, Maksim Vox died in his sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter One: Hope & Guilt**

**Part One **

**Five years later – 18 ABY**

"_What the hell did you_ _do_?"

Kyp Durron threw his hands over his head as another volley of blaster fire hit the dirt mold behind him. From the corner of his eye, he watched with growing unease as bit by bit, his bodily protection was shot to nothingness.

Fifteen-year-old Jedi trainee Kriss Surrel ducked behind him and shrugged his slim shoulders. "Nothing!"

"Then why are they _shooting_ at us?" He had to raise his voice to be heard over the blaster shots. Although he didn't necessarily mean for his words to sound like a growl as if out of a flesh-eating beast, the look Kriss cast him suggested otherwise.

Lightly put, Kyp was annoyed. Ever since the two of them had debarked on this long-term mission together, Kriss had constantly gotten into trouble. Only this was the first time the people actually _shot_ at them.

"I swear I only talked to her!"

A sickening feeling collected in the pit of his stomach and for endless seconds, Kyp completely ignored the men shooting at them but instead glared at the kid who had the audacity to actually try to hide behind Kyp's back. For a moment there, he thought about throwing Kriss out for bait…

"You talked to the Priestess."

"I didn't know talking was forbidden."

Kyp had the sudden urge to slap the boy upside the head.

Hard.

"Obviously!" Kyp yelled exasperated. "The Priestess isn't supposed to be near a male! They've told us _how many times_?"

A red blaster bolt came dangerously close to singeing Kyp's hair. He slid down the little hill that ran into a steep crater. It wouldn't have been wise to take the crater as an escape route since they'd be an easy kill that way.

"I only talked to her!" Kriss yelled back, flinching as the blaster shots flew through the air around his head. "I didn't think it would be that big a deal!"

"You need to stop thinking with your pants, boy!" Kyp slipped a little further before he took a deep breath and gathered the Force around himself. Slowly, leisurely almost, he straightened to his full height planting his feet into the soft soil.

"Do you _want_ to get killed?" He heard Kriss screech somewhere behind him. Kyp didn't pay attention to the boy – couldn't pay attention for that matter. Several dozen armed men stood around the lip of the crater, the nearest only a few feet away. Kyp used the Force like a bubble, expanding it outward to engulf Kriss and a good two meters of the surrounding area as well. Extending a hand, he concentrated on making the bubble impenetrable – the blaster bolts bounced off the shield. The armed men ducked their own incoming shots, cursing as they realized they could no longer get to the Jedi.

"Now what?" Kriss hissed in the sudden silence. Kyp turned his head towards the young boy, his eyes flaring with irritation.

"You shut up and follow me." Slowly Kyp walked forward, stepping over the lip of the crater with his hands held high. Kriss was smart enough to bring up the rear without a comment. The two of them had gotten into many intense arguments over the past few months but Kriss supposed this time, he'd hit the jackpot.

"Stop right there." A deep voice said from the front, echoing through the valley around the crater. The Jedi didn't move an inch as they stared at a middle-aged man coming towards them. Wearing a dark blue uniform with several patches and pins along the front of his jacket, he stepped forward with a fierce looking blaster pointed at Kyp's chest. "Do you have any idea what you've done?"

Kriss shuffled his feet while standing behind Kyp. How humiliating! He was training to be a Jedi Knight and now he didn't have the guts to stand up for himself? Taking a breath and swallowing his already wounded pride, Kriss stepped forward. "Please. I didn't know –"

"Silence!" The man bellowed through the canyon, his voice echoing off the stone walls. He gripped the blaster with white knuckles, working his jaw back and forth. A slight breeze travelled through the canyon, bringing along the sweet smell of burning incense sticks from the temple grounds. "The Priestess and her guardians must be left alone at all times. No male shall _ever_ touch her or be near her. It is our highest law!"

"First Magistrate Dalen." Kyp said in a low voice, slowly dropping his hands back to his sides. "We meant no disrespect. This is a simple misunderstanding which I believe we can straighten out without anyone getting hurt." He used the Force to emphasize his point, hoping his voice sounded soothing enough for the Magistrate to drop his weapon.

"The Priestess' reputation is soiled." Dalen hissed between clenched teeth. "The Order must replace her." Dark eyes travelled towards Kriss. The young Jedi trainee swallowed audibly and if not for his pride, he would have gripped Kyp's robes like a child. "This will take weeks, if not months. The Priestess is a symbol of unity for our country. The people will want retribution if they cannot pray to her! The Gods will want retribution for a ruined medium!"

Kyp cleared his throat, his mind spinning and spiraling around the fact that these people were as spiritual and religious as they got.

"What is the punishment?" He asked levelly, feeling Kriss' anxiety spike behind him. Even though Kyp would have loved to grab the kids arm and bolt the hell off the planet, being a Jedi Knight more or less forced him to go by the rules of the native people.

"He will be beaten." Dalen said in a cold voice. Kriss cringed away from the man's dark glare, clearly mortified and scared beyond reason. "In front of witnesses and the Priestess he soiled."

Kyp narrowed his eyes. "He's a boy, Magistrate Dalen."

"By our law, he is old enough to suffer the consequences of his actions."

Force, he was so tired of all this! Would it have been too much to ask that the last few days of the mission end peacefully?

Sighing, Kyp shook his head. "I'm very sorry, Magistrate Dalen. I cannot permit this."

Dalen smiled. "You do not have a choice. Either he submits to the punishment or we will be forced to incarcerate the both of you and you will both be punished."

Kyp pressed his lips into a thin line. Of all the things he disliked most in the galaxy, being threatened, being shot and being lied to were all the way up there on his personal list. Narrowing his eyes to tiny slits, Kyp summoned the Force around himself. In the blink of an eye, he ripped the weapons from the soldier's hands, levitating the blasters in mid air and out of their reach. Slowly, Kyp set one foot in front of the other – Kriss glued to his back – and stood face to face with Dalen.

"I am truly sorry for this inconvenience." He said softly. "And I am sorry that we cannot abide by your law. You will not touch the Jedi trainee and you will not touch me. You will let us leave and you will take care of this on your own." He paused for just a second, staring the man down with a slight smile on his lips. "Is that clear?"

Dalen swallowed his response, too much in awe of the Jedi Knight who had so blatantly showed the power he could wield on a whim.

"We will leave this planet and you will not hear from us nor see us ever again."

With a nod, Kyp beckoned Kriss to follow him. They walked slowly, side by side, ignoring the stares of the men who seethed with anger. Kyp understood their anger well. He felt awful to have to leave this way but he wouldn't sit back and watch them whip Kriss for a few words he'd spoken to the Priestess. It seemed ridiculously callous and exaggerated.

"Thank you." Kriss whispered as they passed the last of the once armed men. Their blasters still rotated in mid-air.

"Did I allow you to talk?" Kyp snapped, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves. He'd known from the start that this boy would be trouble but had Master Skywalker listened? Of course not, and why would he? The Jedi Master knew everything, didn't he?

Kriss bit down on his lower lip and pulled his cloak around himself. He wasn't short for his age – he was the same height as Kyp – but he looked like a chastised little boy the way he hung his head and shoulders.

"I really didn't know about the Priestess not being allowed to talk." Kriss said in a low voice.

"Because you hear but you don't listen, Kriss." Kyp sighed and ran a hand down his face. "Let's just head home."

Kyp led the way down a trampled path towards the main city space-port, while Kriss followed in silence, feeling utterly ashamed of himself.

-----

Kriss sat down behind Kyp in the cockpit of the small shuttle he'd dubbed _Nameless_. It was an old vehicle, constructed during the Clone Wars. Whoever had owned it previously, had taken great care of it, only flying out when he needed to. No one had given it an official name and the Jedi had left it with only a string of numbers and a few letters. Very impersonal for a ship he and Kyp had been using for the past year.

Kyp plopped down in the pilots' chair in front of Kriss and ran a hand through his hair. He rested his elbows on his knees and laid his head onto his folded hands. "We can't leave without knowing what will happen to the Priestess." He said slowly, his tone pensive. Running a thumb across his chin, Kriss watched the emotions playing across the older man's face. They'd been on missions together for the past twelve months, away from home for almost half a year and during this time, Kriss had gotten to know certain quirks the Jedi Knight had.

When he was angry, his lips formed a single white line and a tic started underneath his left eye. When he was amused or happy about something, he could actually smile once and a while. And when he was thinking hard, he would sit hunched in a chair with hooded eyes while running his thumb along his chin.

"What do you have in mind?" Kriss asked carefully.

Kyp leaned back in the soft, dark blue leather and shrugged. "We can't go back to ask questions, that's for sure. I'm guessing word has already gotten around so we can't be seen either."

Kriss wished a hole would open up underneath his feet and swallow him. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Kyp."

A deep sigh escaped the older man's throat and his brow pulled down into a frown. "What's done is done. Nothing we can do about it now."

"Besides hope the Priestess will be alright?" Kriss added helpfully.

"We'll make sure she'll _be_ alright." Kyp leaned over the main controls and touched a single round red button that brought up a hologram above the emitter embedded in the armrest of the chair. His fingers flew over the keys and he brought up a list of native historical events, along with archives concerning their religions.

"Are we allowed to be doing this?" Kriss asked.

"I don't see why not. I'm not slicing through their files, if that's what you mean. All this is open to the public."

"Do you think we'll find anything?"

Kyp didn't answer as he read the files on the natives' religious ceremonies. The more he read, the colder it got in the cockpit. Another thing Kriss had noticed in the past year was that whenever Kyp got extraordinarily angry, he seemed to emit coldness so fierce you could feel it in your bones. The way his jaw was set, Kriss knew he was furious.

"What?" He whispered.

"Did the Priestess talk to you, Kriss?"

Kriss swallowed, hoping Kyp wouldn't turn around and see his blush. "No. She shied away from me."

"Did you touch her?"

"No."

"And she didn't answer you in _any_ way? Even with the slightest gesture?" Kyp turned around to face him and Kriss shook his head.

"Why?"

"Are you _sure_?" Kyp asked with force.

Kriss frowned, feeling a sudden defiance rise to the surface. "_Yes_!"

Kyp breathed out on a sigh and settled his head against the headrest of his chair. Green eyes stared at Kriss, completely devoid of emotion. Another one of the older man's quirks – his problem-solving face. "What's going on?"

"They have means to look into her mind. They can look into her memories, more or less. So they may prove her innocence. Or not. If she so much as took a single step towards you, she will be offered to the Gods."

"Offered how?"

Kyp shot him an arched look that gave him all the answer he needed. "Oh."

"So I trust she did nothing to approach you?"

Kriss shook his head. "Nothing. She was afraid of me. So I left."

"Good. According to the files, she'll be sequestered. Due to her _soiled_ _reputation_." Kyp said, his voice leaking sarcasm.

They grew quiet for a very long while, each occupied with their own thoughts. Kriss kept dealing with his guilt, dealing with the fact that because he only spoke a few words with the beautiful young woman, she would be punished. It wasn't fair, no matter the rules of the natives.

"What do we do now?" Kriss asked softly.

"There's nothing we _can_ do." Kyp said, switching off the hologram. "It's their law. And we won't interfere."

Kriss shook his head and ran a hand across his face. The laugh that bubbled from his throat sounded strained and almost hysterical. "I ruined her life because I talked to her."

"You don't know that, Kriss."

"And I never will." He whispered, feeling a cool wetness on his cheek. When he reached up to touch his face, he was surprised he found tears gliding down his skin. He felt like such a pansy.

Kriss sat back in his seat and closed his eyes, wishing that all this was simply a bad dream and he would wake up soon and laugh about it. He'd only wanted to be polite because the young Priestess had seemed so sad. She'd looked at him when he had approached her, her mouth forming a little O of astonishment when he had introduced himself. Through the Force, he had felt her fear and that should have been enough for him to just turn around and let her be. Maybe – just maybe – he might have saved her the trouble had he gone with his first instincts and simply stayed away from her.

Force, but those sad blue eyes…

He was ripped from his stupor by the sound of a beeping comm unit. An indicator light flashed red on the control console. Kyp reached forward and accepted the incoming message, frowning when he realized it was a short text message that popped up on the screen to his left.

Kriss couldn't read the lines from where he sat but the message made Kyp's mood plummet further into the ground. "Something wrong?" Kriss asked slowly.

The Jedi Knight shrugged. "Another minor irritation." He rubbed his brow. "I'm sending you co-ordinates. Plot a course with the nav computer."

"Where are we headed?"

"Outer Rim. A small planet called Shel'anin."

"Never heard of it."

"Hardly anyone has, I suspect."

Kriss frowned. "So why are we heading there?" He watched as Kyp's lips lifted into a little smile. Mirthless as it was, it really surprised the hell out of him.

"An old friend needs help." Kyp flicked a switch and sent a copy of the message to Kriss' personal screen.

_Remember me? _

_Need your help. _

_Now. _

_Getcha ass moving. _

_Nikk._

"And you trust him? I mean, we're just leaving because this guy sends a message?"

Kyp sighed while he powered up the shuttles' drives. "I know you want to go home, Kriss. Believe me, so do I." He paused while he closed his eyes for just a moment. Kriss raised his brows in surprise – there was a yearning look on Kyp's face. "But a few more days won't make much of a difference."

"But we don't even know what this is about."

"We'll find out soon enough."


	3. Chapter 3

Her breath came out in little white puffs and she rubbed her hands together to keep warm. It wasn't working well and she shivered in her thick bantha hide boots and dark red parka.

"Should have brought along some gloves." Eliziya Thompson whispered under her breath, pulling her hood into her face, trying to cover her stinging ears.

Force, it was _cold_!

Standing amongst several large transport ships, Liz watched, as the natives of the planet were lead across the snow-covered landing field. They walked in closed groups, huddling together against the piercing cold. A fierce wind brought along icy snowflakes that twirled through the thick, foggy air. Liz looked up and frowned at the snow peaked mountains surrounding the landing field and the outline of a large, golden sun. None of its warming light made it through the dense fog, though.

For weeks, it had snowed, destroying the natives' food supply along with almost all electrical appliances that might have kept them warm during the winter season. According to the weather records, this was the worst winter in the last decade and already many hundred people had died.

A small group of Jedi and volunteer helpers had hurried their butts off to get to the small planet as soon as they could and for the past two days, they'd been helping with the evacuation. Now, Liz was ready to go home.

She had only recently been knighted and she felt odd about the entire thing. It was strange having a lightsaber not only as a weapon but as a sort of status symbol as well. No matter where she was, if someone saw that saber of hers, they'd either cower from her or show her too much respect for her taste. She understood why the status of being a Jedi Knight got to some of her colleague's heads. It bordered on insanity the way some individuals regarded the Jedi Knights. At the end of the day, she was merely a human. It seemed some people forgot that little detail.

"We're about done here."

Liz turned towards the voice, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her parka. She forced a little smile as Jedi Knight Paxton Orlon approached her. She felt uncomfortable in the man's presence and she hadn't been happy at all when she had been paired up with him. He was kind when he wanted to be, nice when he thought it was necessary but otherwise he kept to himself, usually only giving clipped and rude answers to normal questions.

And the thick scar running down his face didn't help to warm up to him, either. Curious as she was, Liz hadn't had the guts to ask him how he'd gotten hurt and why he hadn't had the scar removed. It completely disfigured his face, starting above his eye and running down along his cheek and across his upper lip. A permanent growling sneer, that's what it looked like. He always looked angry.

Even from afar, he seemed dangerous. A slow yet elegant swagger in his step told most sentients to back off and his brown eyes, devoid of emotion, weren't inviting.

Liz sighed. She trusted Master Skywalker's decision to keep him in the folds so he couldn't really be _that_ bad. Anyway, looks _could _be deceiving and she had to admit, she hadn't really given him a chance to show who he really was. She'd only talked to him when she had to, basically ignoring him every chance she got. She felt bad about it but he wasn't really making it easy for her, either.

"How much longer do you think?" Liz asked, rocking back and forth on her heels.

Pax shrugged. "An hour tops. We're on the last transport out."

She breathed a sigh of relief and let a small smile cross her face. "We get to go home and be warm again."

Even though the notion of _home_ wasn't a happy one, she was glad to leave this ice glacier of a planet. Home meant being alone, again. Home meant wishing for something to do, to get her mind off worrying and hoping. And she could only meditate for so long until reality caught up with her and reminded her that life wasn't always as peachy as she wanted it to be.

_Six months… _

She hadn't seen or heard from Kyp in six months and it was driving her insane. Their last conversation was still stuck in her brain as if it had only been yesterday. If she had had the power to do so, she would have taken everything back because due to her big mouth, they'd started to argue again. In the end they'd cut the connection with a simple "Take care of yourself" and that was it. Since then – silence.

He was out there somewhere, she could feel him, she just didn't know where. Subtle inquiries with Master Skywalker had gotten her nowhere – either he didn't know where Kyp was (which was highly unlikely) or he just wouldn't say in case he endangered some mission Kyp was on. It was all so frustrating, she felt like pulling at her hair and yelling for no other reason than for being tired, exhausted and fed up with all this cloak-and-dagger stuff.

But all this – the rescue attempts, secret missions, political altercations, maybe even fighting in a war someday – was what she had signed up for when she decided to become a part of the Jedi.

She bit the inside of her lip and looked back to the snow peaked mountains. If he'd at least left her a comm frequency where she could have left him a message, apologizing for being an idiot. A simple "_Can't come to the comm right now, leave a message after the tone"_ would have been enough – she could have at least heard his voice that way.

So _Home_ wasn't a very good idea but she didn't really have much of a choice in the matter.

"Now we wait." Pax said on a sigh, rubbing at his brow. His hands were bright red from the cold, which made Liz crack a smile. So she hadn't been the only one to forget a pair of gloves.

"Which transport are we on?" Liz asked, cringing as a gust of wind blew around them. Snowflakes flew into the air, spiraling like miniature tornadoes.

Pax gestured with his chin. The ramp to a large, bullet-shaped transport touched the ground and a small group of evacuees already boarded in a straight line. Liz watched as a volunteer – a middle-aged woman with a motor mouth – helped the elderly with a bright smile and reassuring words. "We should wait until everyone else is on board. Take up the rear."

Pax nodded, cupping his hands in front of his mouth and blowing warm air into his palms. He started rocking in his boots then decided to tuck his hands underneath his arms. His hood was still down and with a light chuckle, Liz reached up and pulled it over his blond head. Pax raised his brows at her. "Thanks." He said in a low tone and this time it was Liz's turn to be surprised.

Pax being polite? Why, it seemed miracles really did exist.

They stood side by side for another few minutes. Liz had her chin tucked into the collar of her parka when she heard heavy footsteps coming their way. She looked up, as one of the volunteer soldiers handed her a data pad. He simply nodded and turned back the way he'd come, leaving her with a deep frown on her forehead.

"What is it?" Pax asked, shivering. His voice broke as he closed his eyes. Liz felt him drawing on the Force to help keep warm but in these temperatures, it wouldn't do him much good. She'd already tried _that_ when they'd first arrived. She'd tried it many times, actually.

"A message." Liz whispered, her heart fluttering in her chest. Her fingers shook as she tapped her personal pass code onto the small screen and it wasn't just because she was freezing cold. Taking deep breaths to calm her suddenly racing heart, she called up the short message and frowned.

Well, the short little stupid anxiety attack had been _completely_ for nothing.

She had the sudden urge to smash the data pad on the ground and stomp on it.

"Nikk, you ass." She mumbled into the collar of her parka.

"Nikk?" Pax asked. "As in Nikk Vox?"

Liz nodded. "He wants me to come for a visit. Seems he needs help with something."

"That overbearing piece of dung is actually _asking_ for help?"

She laughed. "Not in so many words. But the meaning's the same. I suppose he _is_ asking for help." Wrinkling her nose, she tucked the data pad into her pocket but kept her hand locked around it. For a moment there, she'd hoped…

_You're being stupid, woman. Maybe he doesn't even want to –_

She pushed the thought far away and took a steadying breath.

"Why is he asking _you_ for help?" Pax asked with raised brows and Liz didn't like the tone in the man's voice at all. As if it were below Nikk to ask _her_ because she was a newbie.

Liz sighed. "I don't know. He didn't say. I'm going to find out, though."

She hadn't seen Nikk in a very long time and she'd always wanted to know where he'd grown up. He'd been so secretive of his heritage and when he'd left, he'd surprised not only her but the rest of the Academy as well. Anyway, spending time with whatever Nikk needed her to do was much better than going home and _waiting_. Plus, she sort of missed him.

"I'll go let the Captain know he can drop me off at the nearest outpost." Liz said, forcing her stiff legs to move.

"You're going alone?"

She stopped at Pax' incredulous tone and whirled around, a deep-seated anger slowly rising to the surface. "Do you think me so incompetent that I can't take care of myself?"

Pax pulled his brows into a deep frown. "That's not what I meant." He cleared his throat awkwardly. "You should let Master Skywalker know."

"What do you think I was going to do?" She snapped at him, turning on her heel and heading to the transport.

-----

Paxton watched Liz leave with growing unease settling into the pit of his stomach. He searched through his mind, hoping to come up with a solution to his walking predicament. Months ago, he'd given his word, on his honor that he would watch out for her. However, she had dealt him a serious blow the moment she had decided to head out to see Nikk on her own.

There was no reason not to join her, of course. The mission was over and they were all heading back home to Yavin 4. Problem was, Liz didn't know that Pax was watching her – _protecting_ her – and if she found out, there would no doubt be hell to pay.

Under that cool and controlled exterior of hers, Liz seemed to be an independent woman, hating when someone offered help and despising it when she actually had to accept it. To Pax it seemed she was used to doing things on her own whenever she wanted to but according to Kyp, she wasn't as strong as she thought she was.

Pax understood Durron's worry for her and he understood his need to make sure she was safe. Although maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to go behind her back with it all. She would never have agreed, Pax was sure of it but still it felt odd. He felt like a spy almost.

Running a hand across his scarred face, he weighed his options. Never in his life had he broken his word and he wasn't about to start now. He needed to come up with a decent sounding excuse so he could look after her. He also still had the choice of simply following her from a discreet distance.

The latter didn't sit well with him at all. It would mean relying on tactical moves so as not to be seen by Liz. It would mean hiding in person _and_ hiding himself in the Force. Yet he didn't think the effort would be worth it.

Slowly, Pax shook his head. The best way to go about this was to tell her he was coming along, no matter her fussing. She wouldn't send him away because it wasn't in her nature to be deliberately cruel. Pax smiled – he would simply tell her he felt like going on vacation. Or something equally stupid.

Pax sighed. One way or the other, Liz would find out about his arrangement with Kyp and then she'd skin both their hides alive, wouldn't she?

"Durron, you owe me big time." Pax muttered under his breath, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his parka while he followed Liz to the transport.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Two: Trust**

"Sir, I would ask you to reconsider."

Nikk scowled at Cal, the head bodyguard, while shrugging into a long black coat. In the brightly lit office, the silver and golden pins on his chest twinkled, polished to the point of being able to blind someone. Nikk hated the things but they were now part of his image and he had to live with it. Not that he had really earned any of the honorable pins and medals adorning his coat.

The Executive Council had literally forced them onto him, claiming that his work as a Jedi was legendary among his people and thus Nikk, as a person, should be venerated. And so, in an ungodly long ceremony that had bored Nikk to tears (speeches on the Vox family heritage, speeches on how great his old man had been and how Nikk would perfect the reign and blah blah blah) the pins had been stuck onto his chest and afterward he had been sent on his way, back to the dull mansion and back to his new dull life.

Whatever.

All stupid lies anyway.

Nikk took a quick glance in the mirror and grimaced at his reflection. Well, he _did_ look good – at least according to the females of the household. He'd inherited his height from his father, the same light blue eyes and dark brown hair. He'd let it grow the past few years, the tips now touching his shoulders and he'd even relinquished the red color. His reflection smiled sardonically. The one thing that stood out most was the goatee he'd grown – he looked almost evil, if not for the permanent mischievous glint in his eyes. Still, all this felt so _wrong_. He wasn't the fancy type, he hated having to deal with responsibility and he hated it when people asked _him_ for advice.

It was just too absurd.

Who in their right mind would want to ask a man for advice who considered his ship a part of the family?

Nikk chuckled at the thought. Maybe he'd take _Lucinda_ out for a spin – just to get the bodyguards pissed off at him some more.

Always fun.

"Sir."

Nikk spun around and glared at Cal, shaking his head. "I'm going. And you're not stopping me. So shut about it."

Cal, a dangerous looking male human with closely cropped dark hair and brown eyes, wore his black uniform with pride. Anyone with a brain would get out of Cal's way because he radiated animosity, which was the reason Nikk had wanted him as his head bodyguard in the first place. Most people kept their distance when he was around and this suited Nikk just fine. Only now, Cal was being irritating.

"It's not safe."

"And I care because?" Nikk shot him a bored look. "Not like I haven't gone out on my own before. I don't need a babysitter, Cal. You should know this."

"It's not that I don't think you can't defend yourself, I know you can. It's just a precaution. Take two men. They'll stay far behind."

Nikk rolled his eyes and heaved a sigh. Another part of this job he despised was the constant watching-over, babysitting, and watch-out-someone-wants-your's-head-on-a-stick-routine. No matter where he wanted to go, the gardens or the private hangar bay – for Force's sake, even the damned fresher! – there would always be someone accompanying him or, at the very least, watching him.

Wasn't this just marvelous?

"I don't want them to stay far behind. I don't want them near me, _period_." Nikk turned around towards a large desk standing in front of a double set of floor-to-ceiling windows. The view was spectacular and had he been in a different state of mind, Nikk might have stopped for a minute and just simply _looked_. As things were, he ignored the grand lake behind the mansion and he didn't catch the setting sun that bathed the garden in a beautiful bronze light. Not even the water turning a liquid gold could turn his attention outward

Instead, Nikk leaned forward and opened a drawer, extracting the silver and black hilt of his lightsaber. He weighed it in his hand, looking it over with sadness in his eyes. When was the last time he'd activated the blade for a real fight and not just for sparring practice?

It felt like a lifetime ago.

"Sir, if anything happens to you –"

"_Nothing_ will happen, dammit!" Nikk snapped, hooking the lightsaber to his belt underneath his coat. "I'm going to the landing field, which is only fifteen minutes away by speeder, as you clearly know. It's still on _my_ territory – a territory with the tightest security grid on this entire Force forsaken _planet_. And if someone feels the need to try and kriff with me?" Nikk shrugged. "Well then _let them come_. I could use a good fight."

Nikk brushed past Cal and hurried through the door of his private study. Another two bodyguards stood in the hall, hands clasped behind their backs, staring into nothingness.

They looked so damned pathetic.

"Sir." Cal came after him, his voice low yet laced with impatience. "Nikk, stop."

Crap.

Nikk sighed – he hated it when Cal got all friendly with him.

"It's too dangerous." Cal shook his head then sighed. "There have already been two attempts on your life –"

"You don't need to remind me. I was _there_, remember?"

"So we have to be cautious. Stop being stubborn. Suck it up and take it like a man." There was a hint of a smile on Cal's face.

Nikk arched his brows and jabbed a finger at the other man's chest. "You be glad we grew up together or I'd slap you halfway across the hall."

Cal snorted. "You wouldn't even get that far. Even with your _superior_ Jedi powers, you're still slower than I am." When Nikk started to protest, Cal held up a hand. "I'll not remind you of how many times you land flat on your ass during sparring sessions."

Nikk scowled. "Shut up, Cal." He ran a hand through his hair. "Fine. Let's get going. Wouldn't want to be late, now would we?"

"Since when do you care about punctuality?" Cal asked, falling in beside Nikk.

"Well, the people that I actually _like_ – I don't keep them waiting. The backstabbing people I have to deal with on a daily basis – they are _so_ not worth my time so I keep them waiting. Anyway, it's fun watching them fidget."

Cal shook his head but smiled all the same. "Your father would be so _very_ proud."

Nikk snorted. "Whatever."

-----

The boarding ramp descended with a loud hiss. As it touched the grainy ground of the landing platform, Nikk realized that he was nervous, which completely surprised him. Throughout the years, he'd perfected concealing his emotions. He never let his feelings show because he never knew if his opponent was friend or foe and in his line of work, showing feelings was equal to being weak.

Cal stood beside Nikk with his gloved hands clasped behind his back. In the near darkness, the floodlights reflected off the butt of his holstered blaster at his hip. Nikk knew Cal carried two more hold out blasters on his body, including two small throwing knives tucked inside his sleeves.

As if Cal wasn't enough protection, Nikk felt three more men walking about in the shadows, their Force signatures telling him that they were scouting the area, concentrating on the ship and ready to take down anyone who made any sudden movements.

Nikk turned his attention to the boarding ramp, heard a shuffling of some kind and then, for the first time in what seemed like months, he let absolute puzzlement and surprise cross his face.

Everything happened so fast, Nikk hardly had enough time to react.

Two people literally flew down the ramp, grunting as they crashed to the hard ground of the landing pad. Nikk heard quiet curses and expletives that made him raise his brows, then the obvious cracking sound of a punch, a loud yell and more curses.

Before Nikk could see what was going on, the shavit more or less hit the fan when the bodyguards rounded up, keeping Nikk back while pointing their blasters at the newcomers.

"Stop!" Nikk shouted, pushing through the ranks of three very tall men, his eyes widening just a fraction at the scene that met his eyes.

He had known Liz would be the first to arrive although he hadn't been expecting Paxton Orlon to be in her company. Why the two of them were together was beyond him – even Nikk knew it was near impossible for the two of them to get along for a longer period of time and he hardly knew Pax.

Liz was straddling Pax' legs, breathing heavily. Her eyes glowed with anger but what caught Nikk off guard was the dagger in her hand and she had the shiny blade pushed underneath Pax' chin. Pax lay still, his arms spread to the sides with his palms upward. His features were impassive, as if he didn't care that Liz was in a position to slit his throat and end his life.

"Liz – what are you doing?" Nikk approached her slowly, holding out his hand towards the bodyguards – a gesture for them to back off. They lowered their blasters an inch or two but stood firm, their eyes taking in every detail they could, evaluating the situation and already coming up with solutions that, no doubt, would not be in Liz's best interest.

"You need to give me the blade, Liz." Nikk said softly.

"You're a disgrace for a Jedi." Pax snarled at her, narrowing his eyes. He chuckled suddenly, raising his head a fraction to meet the blade. "I'm all yours, sweetheart. You want to kill me – go right ahead."

Nikk crouched beside them, taking a deep breath and trying to understand the sudden chaos that had broken loose. He'd never seen or felt her like this before – hope, despair, hurt, anger, and disappointment. And she was letting it all out on Pax. This wasn't like her at all – at least not that he could remember.

"Liz. Give me the blade." He said again but she ignored him.

"You worthless kriffer. _I'm_ a disgrace for a Jedi? You should point that finger on yourself." Her voice was hoarse, as if her throat were parched. "And you'd best watch that filthy mouth of yours. I've had enough of you."

"So end it. See if I care." Pax laughed, his eyes twinkling. "Not like you haven't killed before, right?"

As Liz's shoulders bunched, Pax grinned at her, clicking his tongue. "Yeah. People talk, sweetheart. What's one more body added to your list, huh? I dare you to do it." He lifted his head another inch. "Come on, baby. One swipe with that hand of yours and it'll all be over with. Show what kind of _perfect little Jedi_ you really are."

Nikk was completely shocked and words failed him. And this, for Nikk, was definitely a first. Before he could intervene, Liz loosened her grip around the dagger and she got to her feet in a single, swift movement. "Stay away from me." She said to Pax, sheathing the dagger in its holster at the small of her back underneath her jacket.

She was trembling, her fingers shaking. But the moment she had stepped away from Pax, there was a collective sigh of relief. The bodyguards tucked their blasters away and Nikk drew another relieved breath. "What the hell was that?" He asked in a low tone, his forehead creased into a worried frowned while he looked at Liz.

"The end of a very long argument." Liz said, forcing a little smile when she turned to Nikk. "I'm truly sorry that you had to see this. I did want this to be a memorable meeting but not quite like this."

Pax dusted himself off while he stood, straightening his Jedi robe and smiling with such satisfaction that it made Nikk want to punch it off his face.

"What happened?"

Liz waved the question away while tears glittered in her eyes. "It doesn't matter. What matters is that it's over with and I'll make sure it won't happen again."

Nikk breathed in deeply and forced a little smile. He laid a hand on her shoulder, watching as her eyes blazed fire in Pax' direction. Curious to know what the hell happened between the two, Nikk filed a mental note to ask when Pax wasn't around.

"Well. I suppose we should head back to the mansion." Nikk said, squeezing her shoulder as if to reassure her. "If you're up to it."

Liz nodded and smiled at him. "Of course." To his utter amazement, Liz turned in his grasp, stood on her toes and embraced him the way a sister would a long lost brother. "You look great, Nikk." She whispered once she let him go.

Nikk grinned. "Come on. You know me. Always looking my best." With a little wink, he gestured for Liz and Pax to follow him but he made sure that the two were kept as far apart as possible.


	5. Chapter 5

"This is the end, isn't it?" Kriss narrowed his eyes, his lips drawn into a thin line and yet he smiled – an evil, almost sadistic little lift of his lips. "You scrawny little –"

"Who are you talking to?"

Kriss jumped and fumbled with his gamepad, trying to reach the off switch in time to tuck it away into his pants pocket. Not that he wasn't allowed to play, Kyp actually encouraged shutting off for a while, he just felt embarrassed being caught talking to one of the holographic bad guys.

"No one." He muttered, turning halfway in the pilot's chair and forcing a plain expression onto his face. Kyp stood in the doorway, dressed in simple khaki colored civilian garb, holding a steaming cup in his hands. Going by the scent in the small cockpit, Kyp was pampering himself with a cup of caf.

"No one, huh?" Kyp repeated, shuffling his feet as he sat down behind Kriss, not even trying to hide his growing smile. "Let me see." He said, holding out one hand while placing his cup in a holder in the armrest of the chair.

Kriss cleared his throat, tapping a finger on his chin. "Let you see what?"

"Let me see the game. I'll even ask nicely if I have to." There was a twinkle in the older man's eyes Kriss couldn't quite pinpoint. He shoved his hand back into his pocket and withdrew the gamepad, "It's just a silly game. You know, to pass the time –"

"I've seen you with it many times already, Kriss. And I honestly don't know why you're trying to explain yourself." Kyp swiveled the chair to the side and propped his booted feet on the control board opposite him. He switched the gamepad on with a flick of his thumb and settled back in the chair with a comfortable sigh. "Now – you may watch the _Master_ at work."

Kriss snorted, which earned him a slight grin and shake of the head. "Kriss, Kriss, Kriss." Kyp laughed and slid down into the chair some more, lounging with his elbows on the armrests. "You're going down."

"I've learned that old people aren't any good at these kinds of games."

"Old people?" Kyp asked incredulously, placing the gamepad on his lap. "Who are you calling _old_?"

Kriss laughed and shrugged, waving Kyp's remark away. "Go ahead and play then. I know you're going to suck at it."

"You are _so_ going down, kid."

Kriss rose from the pilot's chair with a little smile and took up position behind Kyp to keep better track of the game. He had to admit, the Jedi Knight knew what he was doing. While his long fingers swept over the pad and his thumbs pressed down on the buttons needed to get the character in fighting mode, Kriss actually consented that Kyp was quite frankly a very good player.

Within minutes he'd already passed the first level. Another five minutes later, he arrived in the lair of the first big boss and kicked butt. Even though Kyp hadn't collected all the specials and goodies, his score was way better than Kriss'.

"Isn't there anything you're really bad at?" Kriss complained, ripping the gamepad from Kyp's hands and shutting it off.

"Hey! I wasn't finished yet." That twinkle returned to his eyes – was he having fun?

"Power cell is almost dead anyway." Kriss muttered under his breath.

"It's just a game, Kriss." Kyp said, grasping his cup in two hands while blowing over the surface of the hot caf.

"I know. It's just –" The young boy sighed and flopped back down into the pilot's chair. "I feel like everyone is better than me, no matter what. Just once I want to be good at something. I want to know what it feels like when people look up to me rather than scowling because I messed up again."

Kyp laid his head back against the headrest and heaved a sigh. "You know what I'm really bad at?"

Kriss shook his head, rolling the gamepad between his hands.

"Stuff like this." His green eyes seemed to stare right through him and Kriss shivered. "I suppose I'm a fighter. It's what I do best. I'm no good with interpersonal things like this." He shrugged and sighed. "You shouldn't listen to what other people say, Kriss. No matter how hurtful those things are, it's what _you_ believe that matters. Other peoples' opinions – who cares about them? They don't know anything about you so they're not entitled to judge you. Either way – the problem isn't about you being good at something or you wanting people to notice your good deeds, it's about you finally learning to be more self-confident."

Kriss tucked the gamepad back into his pocket and swiveled the chair around towards the viewport. Hyperspace blues and whites made up a tunnel around them – or so it seemed. He had no idea if they were really flying through a tunnel or not. Astrophysics had never been interesting to him and he still disliked anything that dealt with numbers.

The only thing that he had ever really enjoyed was working on speeders. Before he'd started with his Jedi training, his uncle used to take him to a garage he owned, showing him everything he needed to know because deep down, his uncle had hoped Kriss would someday take over the business. With the way things were going now, Kriss really doubted that.

Not because of his Jedi training, but because during said training, he'd noticed he'd turned out to be more of a nuisance than a help.

An annoying alarm ripped him out of his thoughts and with a sigh leaving his lips, he took a look at the controls. "We're almost there." He said in a low tone, trying to forget what a failure he really was.

***

_Why am I even here?_ Pax wondered, completely unfazed by the pomp and luxury surrounding him. He didn't care that his boots clicked on the gleaming tiles, he didn't care that the chandelier hanging from the ceiling was worth more than he'd ever earn in a lifetime and he sure didn't care about what Nikk was babbling about.

In his mind, he tried to replay what had happened on the ship and after almost an hour of brooding, pondering – speculating – he still had no idea how he had ticked Liz off. Something he said must have been the trigger but he had been talking non-stop just to fill in the silence and no doubt, he had said things that had angered her. He always said things to infuriate her but he never would have expected her to lash out at him or take a knife to his throat.

Pax knew he could be a despicable person and he knew he might have taken things a little too far. Bringing up Liz's past hadn't been the smartest thing to do but he'd been too shocked to think of another way to defend himself. Knowing Liz would never have used her dagger on him, he'd let his mouth go and now? Now he suddenly had the damnedest urge to apologize.

Because deep down inside, he wasn't the jerk most people thought he was.

Following Nikk and his guards through the foyer and through yet another set of huge doors – wood with golden threads and intricate carvings he couldn't and didn't want to make sense of— he momentarily lost his train of thought when he noticed a woman standing at the top of an enormous staircase. It seemed like a miracle that no one was blinded by the cleanliness of the place. Even the dark blue carpet along the steps was impeccable. The group stopped when Nikk held up his hand, a gesture his personal serving droids with human faces were very much familiar with – Pax glanced at the security guards and shook his head.

They really did do anything and everything Nikk said, didn't they? They stepped up to either side of the marble banisters with their hands clasped behind their backs, while staring holes into the air.

Pax kept moving until he set one foot onto the first step, watching as the woman came towards them, her dark blue gown flowing behind her, lightly touching the stairs in a quiet whisper. Nikk reached out for her, she gently laid her porcelain, delicate hand in his, and that's when Pax noticed the resemblance.

So this was Nikk's mother. The former Countess Zhenya Vox.

Interesting.

"Your guests have arrived, I see." She said in a low tone, her voice rather dark for a woman and yet… becoming. Dark blond hair was elaborately styled at the back of her head; around her slender neck she wore an expensive looking shimmering, crystal collier.

Indeed, she was a beautiful woman, regal and noble – just like her son.

Pax grimaced.

_Exactly like her son, no doubt._

"Yeah." Nikk answered with a smile. "Still waiting on the others." He turned around, with his mother's hand on his arm, nodding first towards Liz and, with a barely hidden scowl, turned to Pax. "My fellow Jedi friends, Mother. Liz Thompson and Pax Orlon."

Zhenya bowed her head slightly and her smile seemed to light up the entire room, as if she were thoroughly thrilled to be acquainted to her son's friends. "It is a pleasure to meet you. I have heard so much of the Jedi. It is truly an honor." She extended her arm and grasped Liz's hand smoothly before repeating the process with Pax. He did not miss the slight cringe in her features while she took in the scar marring his face.

_Yeah. Take a good look. I'm ugly. Who the kriff cares?_

Pax was used to people avoiding him, avoiding his gaze and his person in general. He had his reasons why he'd left the scar and he couldn't help but wonder, if he had gotten used to it, why not the people who dealt with him?

Normally he didn't care about the average cringing reaction but with Zhenya…somehow – and this was a mystery to him – he didn't want her to think of him as ugly and beneath him because of his scar like so many others did.

He stepped closer and smiled at Zhenya, all the while feeling Nikk's white-hot glare. The Force betrayed nothing of what Nikk felt but it was obvious that he was having trouble holding not only his anger but complete shock – revulsion? – at bay. It was very hard to hide a smirk as he lifted Zhenya's perfect little hand and placed a fleeting kiss on her knuckles. "Likewise, it is a pleasure to meet you." Pax said, satisfied at the slight blush that colored her cheeks.

Blue eyes, the color of the ocean, stared at him and the ensuing silence threatened to choke him. Pax had always been bold but he had to admit, the audacity he now showed could be dangerous to his health.

Zhenya cleared her throat and nodded once before presenting that smile again. "You are quite a gentleman, are you not?"

"I try my best." She seemed taken aback by his hard voice and even to his ears, he suddenly sounded scratchy, like a barbarian. But didn't this fit his appearance just fine? Kriffed up face, and a kriffed up voice.

Perfect.

"Well." Nikk said on a sigh, more or less ripping Zhenya's hand free of Pax. "I should show you to your rooms. Uh…"

If Pax had had a holocam, he would have loved to snap a picture of Nikk's perplexed face. It seemed Zhenya's little boy was mightily confused by the unexpected interaction between the two, which suited Pax just fine.

"Yeah, your rooms." Nikk extracted himself from his Mother and gestured for Pax and Liz to follow him. Two guards stayed with the former Countess while the others followed in close succession, like droids, hands still clasped behind their backs.

Pax took a quick look over his shoulder, strangely satisfied that Zhenya's gaze was locked onto his back. He could feel her interest spike in the Force, the only question being the nature of her interest. Did she find him attractive because he was different? Because, by bald definition, he was a bad boy? Did she find him attractive at all or only curious because he seemed so callous and yet gentle at the same time?

He sent a smile her way before hurrying to catch up with a very ill tempered Nikk.

"If there's anything you need and I'm not around, ask the staff." Nikk said, while stuffing his hands into the pockets of his coat. He held his emotions in check, only a pinch of his anger bubbling up to the surface.

"I hadn't really expected anything like this." Liz's eyes roamed the hall and it was obvious she was fascinated by the different sets of colors and the arrays of decorum ranging from statues to large plants. "This is where you grew up?"

The carpet laid out along the hall muffled their footsteps as they walked, the bodyguards behind them so quiet, Pax took a look to see if they were actually still there.

"Yes." Nikk's voice was oddly hollow. "It's a beautiful mansion. I'm sure you'd like the gardens." He winked at her and Liz smiled.

"So – what's this all about? How come we're here?"

He took a deep breath and ran a hand through his long hair. "I'd rather wait until I give you the details. Suffice it to say it's of a personal matter but needs to be dealt with as soon as possible. We'll wait until the others arrive and then I'll debrief you."

"The others?" Pax asked, admiring a small statuette of a figurine with wings.

Nikk's com link went off in the inside pocket of his coat. With an apologetic smile, he excused himself and walked a few paces down the hall to answer the call in near privacy.

Liz turned to Pax with a vacant expression on her kind features. He watched her without saying a word; something told him she was about to apologize and just maybe, he would finally get an explanation as to how he had set her off.

"I overreacted." She said, clearing her throat. "It's…unforgivable that I threatened you."

"Mind telling me what got you so worked up?" At the shake of her head, Pax sighed. "Fine. Next time, make sure you keep your damned knife where it belongs. I won't guarantee for anything because I will fight back." He made sure his voice sounded harsh, like a whip cracking on stone.

Liz swallowed. "Noted."

"Sorry, guys." Nikk called, walking back towards them while tucking his com link away. "I need to run. I should be back in an hour. Um…" He craned his neck just as a heavyset, elderly woman wearing a uniform of sorts came their way. She smiled brightly, showing off a set of deep dimples while she approached. "This is Nana." Nikk said, placing an arm across the older woman's shoulders. "She's the best here in the house and since I have to run, I've asked her to show you to your rooms and, if you want, to give you a tour of the house."

Nana nodded once, her cheeriness contagious. Liz found herself smiling at her and even Pax had lifted his lips just a fraction.

"I've got to run. See you later." Nikk gave a curt wave before hurrying back down the hallway. Nana clapped her hands, gaining Liz' and Pax' attention. "This way, please." She said with a soft voice, the voice of the perfect little grandmother.

Liz turned and watched Nikk leave, hope making her heart flutter. Maybe – just maybe – Nikk had asked for Kyp to come as well. They had made a good team in the past, after all.

Gripping onto that little inkling of hope, Liz followed Nana down the hall.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Three: Secrets**

"Nice place." Kriss said while sweeping the landing pad with his eyes. Kyp gave him an arched look, throwing his duffel over his shoulder, which made a _thumping_ sound against his back.

"What's so nice about it? I see exactly three ships and a few speeders and a whole lot of ugly grey durasteel."

"Well, yeah. But compared to Coruscant, for example, it's nice and quiet. And it feels almost peaceful."

Kyp snorted. "Almost." He watched as a dark speeder hovered up onto the landing platform, its windows and viewport tinted black. He was sure the speeder was outfitted with top of the line equipment to defend and protect and he wasn't the least bit surprised when the doors swung open and two burly men in equally fancy black uniforms stepped out. Even in the dark, Kyp took notice of blasters at their hips and strapped to their thighs, along with what looked like shock sticks.

Kyp supposed they were supposed to seem intimidating but they weren't doing that much of a good job. At least not where he was concerned. Kriss, on the other hand – well, he'd gone pasty white and was gripping the straps of his pack, moving in closer behind Kyp.

Kyp held back a grin and inclined his head to the side as another man stepped out of the speeder.

Long black coat with a popped collar, long dark hair, a neatly trimmed goatee and wearing shades – _in the dark_. The thought _Idiot_ raced through his mind until the man cracked a grin and Kyp could only shake his head.

"You look ridiculous in that get up."

"Hey." Nikk spread his arms to the sides and gestured downward with his fingers. "Don't be jealous. I _know_ I look good."

"Not so much, no. It's just what your brain is trying to tell you, when in reality, you look like a nit. But hey, your life, right?"

"Is that code for saying you missed me?" Nikk grinned from one ear to the other.

Kyp chuckled and shrugged but dragged his tired butt towards the speeder nonetheless. "Nope."

"Liar."

"Bite me."

They hugged briefly, like the good friends they were and even lingered a few seconds but the moment it got awkward, they jumped away as if something had bitten a huge chunk out of their rear-ends. Kyp nodded his head towards Kriss and cleared his throat. "This is Kriss. Be nice to him."

Nikk's eyes grew wide and then he frowned. "Why wouldn't I be nice to him?"

"Because you're you." He handed Nikk his duffel, who handed it to the man standing nearest to him. The guard then stashed Kyp's pack in the trunk of the speeder, along with Kriss' smaller carry-on once the boy finally came forward with tiny little baby steps.

"Please don't tell me you've been telling the poor boy lies about me?"

"Of course not. I would never. I did tell him about the five times I saved your ass, though."

"Four times."

"And of course I didn't leave out that little story about how you tinkered with my X-Wing and blew up half the engine."

Nikk wrinkled his nose and made a face. "I was hoping you'd forget that. It wasn't entirely my fault. I didn't think it would do _that_. I thought it would only spark –"

"Shut up. You will always be a danger to my sanity."

"You're insulting me!" Nikk stepped aside for Kyp and Kriss to take their seats in the speeder.

"Really? I'd never have guessed." Kyp said, after Nikk had strapped in opposite them.

The guards, thankfully, took their seats in the front compartment, where a thick slab of transparasteel blocked out their private conversation. Kyp took quick notice of the dark interior with overly comfortable seats, enough room for at least half a dozen people and there was even a small cooling unit, which seemed to hold beverages of all sorts going by the glasses stacked atop it.

"What's this all about?" Kyp asked when the speeder lurched forward.

"Tell you once we get to the mansion." Nikk said, leaning back against the seat with one arm draped over the headrest. He threw off a vibe of owning the entire planet and somehow that little bit of his personality irked the hell out of Kyp.

"So Kriss. How'd you get stuck with this worthless git?"

Kyp sighed into the dark, shook his head for a moment and suddenly kicked out at Nikk's shin. The tip of his boot connected with a _thud_. He was more than just a little satisfied when Nikk howled, bending forward to rub at his leg. "What the hell was that for?"

"I told you to be nice."

"You said be nice to Kriss!"

"That included me, of course. Sorry if you didn't catch that detail."

"Will it be like this the whole time?" Kriss asked quietly, although it was evident he seemed to be enjoying himself.

"Like what?" Nikk asked, still rubbing at his leg.

"You're like siblings."

Kyp shrugged. "Depends on how big of an idiot Nikk is. If he behaves, I behave."

"What? You started it!"

"Stop whining, Count Nikk."

Nikk grimaced. "Don't call me that."

Kriss sat back in the seat, gazing out into the dark, while listening to the two so-called grown men bicker and banter as if they'd known each other for years. Maybe they had, Kriss really didn't know much about Kyp's past but it was nice to see Kyp relax for a change.

***

"Boring." Liz muttered under her breath while she lay on an enormous bed and stared up to an odd painting on the ceiling. The entire place was odd to begin with. Everything was bigger and grander than was standard and it bugged her. Why not at least try to stay modest even if you're filthy rich?

All this – the paintings on the walls, the golden décor along the doors, the ugly statues in the corners – was just too much. Her room even had a walk in closet. An entire section of the wall was paneled with large mirrors and when she activated a mechanism near the bed, the panels opened inward, revealing another room almost as big as the one she was in now. Since she was only a guest, she thought the closet would be empty but the thing was full with fancy gowns, matching accessories and expensive shoes. Liz didn't care much for the gowns but the shoes were fabulous. She'd even tried a few on just to pass the time.

Still, everything felt fake and wrong – she felt out of place.

It bugged her. Everything bugged her.

"And I'm bored."

Her dark eyes narrowed at the pictures on the ceiling. Just like the front gates of the mansion, the painting depicted little fat angels with tiny white wings, which brought her to the question how they could even fly. Those wings were too small to hold that sort of a big body, no matter how cute they were. Maybe these angel beings held an important meaning in the planets' lore or maybe the artist of the house loved little fat angels, who knew?

Liz sat up and ran a hand through her long, disheveled hair. Pax' room was only three doors down the hall and she really _did_ want to apologize again. Force, she could hardly recall what had happened only that she'd blacked out for a moment there.

Pax had been talking non-stop, trying to get Liz to open up a bit. In the beginning it had actually worked. They'd talked about the academy, about being a Jedi and how being a Jedi really sucked sometimes. And then she'd grown tired and she remembered falling asleep.

Liz had tried to stay awake as long as she could. During the past few weeks, she'd had dreams she'd rather forget. They felt too real to only be figments of her imagination and she knew deep down inside, that it was a message. But it was a message that made her furious and every time she woke up, she carried such vile hostility in her heart that it didn't matter who was near her – she just lashed out.

This time it had been Pax. She felt like an idiot, having treated him that way. For Force's sake! She'd put a knife to his throat! The part that scared her most was actually liking the fear and defiance in his eyes. The words he'd spoken had brought her back, made her see sense in the red haze of anger, of hurt and fear.

"You're losing it."

She jumped up from the soft mattress and paced at the foot of the bed, biting on a nail while wondering about the state of her brain. Dreams, visions, glimpses of the future… she'd been down that road before and she hated having to go back. Years had gone by without any of it and now suddenly the dreams started up again? All of a sudden, out of nowhere without a trigger?

It felt wrong, it felt odd… something just wasn't right.

Her heart sped up as she let the images cross her mind again. She was outside…or at least in a building where the sun filtered through huge windows. There were other voices, mingling together into a ball of noise, the words a garbled mess. Fear and despair, hopelessness and a sense of loss – so acute the feelings had to be her own. A lightsaber clattering to the ground, the amethyst blade sputtering before it shut off. And then a cry as the pain, the sense of loss almost choked her.

Her cry.

Liz squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. She couldn't make sense of it. The falling lightsaber – Kyp's weapon… she didn't even want to start contemplating on the meaning of his sputtering lightsaber. For a while she'd let herself believe that it wasn't Kyp's saber she kept seeing but she knew that hilt, the plain silver with black. Of course, there were countless possibilities as to the meaning of the sputtering weapon but only his being hurt or killed clung to her mind.

She sighed and shook her head. It was pointless trying to interpret the dream – she needed more information, which meant she needed to wait it out. But dammit, it was driving her insane.

"And I'm still bored."

Figuring it would be a good idea to distract herself, Liz walked out of her room – or better yet, suite – and took a walk through the mansion.

***

There was always that stupid little voice in the back of your head telling you to stop what you were doing and leave because it was the right and honest thing to do.

Liz chewed on her lower lip, looking up and down the hall while standing in front of a plain door. The fact that it wasn't intricately carved or garnished with golden leaves or whatever else these people used, had made her inner warning bells go off and piqued her curiosity. Plus, she'd always had a tiny problem passing on locked doors anyway and now being able to use the Force to open them – well, this was an opportunity she couldn't let pass.

_Screw right and honest. _

She took another quick look down the hall, closed her eyes while touching her hand to the controls and concentrated. To open the door, she would have to punch in a series of numbers and thankfully, she'd already tripped a similar lock before, thanks to Kyp's detailed instructions. One of many little nifty tricks he'd taught her that Master Skywalker didn't know about.

A single image shot through her mind, a hand punching in the exact code she needed to unlock the door. When she opened her eyes, the numbers on the rectangular pad were glowing an eerie white. Trusting the Force and her instincts, she punched in the correct numbers in the appropriate order – it came natural and she smiled –, waited a moment and grinned broadly when the door swished aside.

Liz peered inside before stepping over the threshold and when the lights flickered to life, she felt utterly and completely disappointed at what met her eyes.

The room was just as bland and ugly as the door itself. It seemed to have once been an old office, the walls a dark green with a simple round lamp hanging off the ceiling. In front of a large set of double windows stood an enormous black desk, its glossy surface reflecting everything around it.

A large, half-round dark green sofa with yellow embroidery stood near the wall and by the look of it, it seemed to be begging to fall apart and finally rest in pieces.

And that was it. A desk and a sofa.

Liz moved towards the window and gazed out into the night. The city looked beautiful from where she stood; tall buildings housing all sorts of people, doing all sorts of things. Just life amongst life, dealing with everyday problems. Just like what her own life used to be.

There were times when she yearned for normality to return but then again, life as a Jedi was exciting, invigorating, and even fun, depending on whom you were with.

Just simply being one of many – that was the feeling she missed above all else.

Shrugging her thoughts away, Liz turned on her heel and headed back to the door. Breaking and entering on her first night here wouldn't really make much of a good impression so she decided not to push her luck and return to her suite.

Only, there was a strange prickling sensation at the nape of her skull and before she knew it, she heard a slight click in the locking mechanism and the door slid aside.

Without thinking about it, she used the Force to deactivate the lights and hurled herself behind the sofa in a heap of tangled limbs. She did her best to keep quiet, cursing her own curiosity and her stupidity for getting herself in situations like this.

Heavy footsteps thundered along the floor and she heard a grumbling noise, as if the person were muttering obscenities under his breath. There was no doubt in her mind that the visitor was male. She tried peering underneath the sofa but all she could see were black boots… coming towards her.

_No, no, no, no…don't sit down here! Sit down at the desk, dammit!_

Whoever the man was, he let himself fall on the soft cushions of the sofa, his weight crushing into the old wood and for a moment there, Liz thought he would crash right through. The damned door let in another visitor, a woman who laughed softly before her weight settled onto the sofa and that's when Liz realized that the neglected office space was being used as a trade-off spot for bodily fluids.

_Shoot. Me. Now._

Cringing from the sudden smooching sounds, Liz closed her eyes and held her hands to her mouth, hoping it would keep her from gagging and laughing at the same time.

_Dear Force, help me…_

The moans that permeated the air and the sudden smell of what would come after the kissing, made the last bits of her dinner run rampant in her stomach. Liz leaned back against the wall, as far away from the couple as she could, trying to get her mind to latch onto her private little happy place.

"I love it when you do that."

The sudden urge to slam her head into the wall grew when the woman kept talking in that overly husky voice of hers. The man grunted something incoherent and Liz was mightily happy that she didn't understand his reply.

The squeaks of the old sofa nearly drove her insane and it was near impossible to block out the sounds, even with the help of the Force. Her happy place drifted away, so far away and she was stuck – behind the sofa and smashed up against the wall – listening to a couple making out right in front of her.

_I am an idiot. Happy place please come back!_

When the couple finally quieted down – thank the Force they hadn't gone _all the way_ – Liz breathed a quiet sigh of relief and hoped they'd get dressed and get the hell out of the office so she could leave.

"Do you have it?" The woman asked.

"Right here." His voice was odd, Liz thought. Very dark and laced with something akin to malevolence; he sounded creepy and she felt a shiver run down her spine.

A pause. "It's so small."

"Nearly undetectable."

"Perfect."

She got up and Liz almost heard the smile in her voice. "I'll have it placed in the chambers by tomorrow."

"A warning, though. The Jedi arrived today."

Another round of smooching. Liz rolled her eyes.

_Dear God…enough already!_

"No one will suspect a thing. I guarantee it." The woman said. "I'll see you tomorrow morning. Do not be late."

Seemed she was the one pulling the strings, Liz mused, breathing a sigh of relief when the woman left. The man, on the other hand, sat back for a long while, grunting here and there until he finally got his big butt moving and left the office. Liz heard the click of the locking mechanism, waited a few more minutes before she felt it was safe to get up.

"Ugh." She wrinkled her nose when her mind ran away with her, imagining the two people on the sofa. She shuddered and pushed the images away, chewing on her lip while processing the information she'd gained from her little excursion.

So not only had these people been getting it on but they had traded something vital that was nearly undetectable and at the same time, the man had issued a warning because of the Jedi?

Interesting didn't even cut it.

Sending out feelers with the Force to make sure that there was no one in the hall, Liz unlocked the door and hurried outside, without looking back. She stopped after rounding a corner, feeling another one of those prickles at the nape of her neck. But this one was familiar, this was the feeling she'd been hoping for all these months.

"Kyp…" she whispered, turning tail and running towards the foyer with a smile on her face.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Four: Revealed**

With her eyes closed, Zhenya breathed in deeply while balancing her entire weight on one leg. The silver, antique dagger lay flat on her outstretched palm. Concentrating on the weapon, making sure that she did not waver, Zhenya threw the dagger into the air. She moved swiftly, swinging her leg upward, somersaulting onto the mat behind her and grabbing the dagger before it hit the ground.

She opened her eyes and smiled at her reflection. Her senses were still acutely attuned to her surroundings along with heightened reflexes – each due to hard and vigorous training throughout her life. As fragile and breakable as Zhenya seemed, she was anything but.

She went through a strenuous set of exercises, repeating each one if she made a mistake and repeating it again for the sake of getting better. Pearls of perspiration ran down her temples, her heart beat rapidly but she breathed calmly.

The dagger grew warm in her fierce grip, the contours of its handle showing on the soft skin of her palm.

Zhenya stopped moving as she became aware of a deep hissing sound – the doors to the training area opening. She hurried to hide the dagger beneath a towel on the sitting bench underneath the mirrors, not wanting to answer to the security guards as to why the Lady of the house was carrying a museums piece as a weapon. It was no one's business but questions _would be_ asked. Even though she did not approve, it was the way of things in the mansion and she doubted anything would change in the near future.

She stood at the ready, hands balled into fists behind her back. It was common knowledge that the training grounds were not to be used during this time of the evening. Zhenya did not want company while she let herself go, while she became one with her surroundings – the only real time she could relax and forget.

The thudding of booted feet made her arch her brows. The way the security guards walked sounded different and the girls' of the household did not wear boots. Zhenya stepped away from the mirrors, her bare feet tingling when she touched down on the blue mats and then on the cold floor.

She stopped as she heard whispered words of adoration. The scarred Jedi was admiring the training grounds; his face reminded her of a young boy who'd stumbled across hidden lifeday gifts. She was surprised at how kind he seemed when he smiled.

Zhenya cleared her throat to get his attention. Slowly, he turned his head towards her, the smile fading when he realized he wasn't alone.

She avoided his gaze, the way she always did when speaking to a male of higher standing. She'd been taught no other way and as much as her son hated her behavior, as much as he tried to help her shake the habit, it was indeed a useless endeavor. At a young age, her father had shown her what happened if she did not obey and the memories permanently burned into her skull resurfaced every time she was near another man.

Inside, she cringed and felt ashamed but she knew nothing else.

"Do you wish to use this facility?" Zhenya asked softly, staring at his reflection instead of him.

Pax frowned at her. "No. I was just taking a look." He inclined his head towards her, wondering why she avoided looking at his face. For a moment, he thought it had to do with his scar but then he felt a flicker of something else in the Force, something he didn't recognize.

His com link chirped and with a grunt, he ripped it from his belt. Just a short message that he was to meet Nikk and the others in the foyer, which he really didn't feel like doing. He wanted to stay with Zhenya for a while longer – it was beyond him why he found her so interesting. At first, he had thought it would be fun to annoy Nikk but he had caught himself constantly thinking about her since their first meeting. There was just something about her that called to him.

The fact that she was refusing to look at him irked the hell out of him, though.

"Do you always do this?" Pax asked in a low tone, making sure he sounded soft unlike his usual gruff bass.

Zhenya glanced at him, just for a second before averting her gaze towards the floor. "Do what?"

Pax stepped forward and he reached out when he was only inches away from her. He lifted her chin with his thumb and smiled. "Are you afraid to look at me?"

He searched her face for any kind of emotion but it seemed she had perfected the mask of tranquility. Through the Force, he could feel her confusion at him being there, even a sort of embarrassment, a contradiction to what showed on her features. He let himself think that perhaps she was scarred on the inside as he was on the outside.

Her startling blue eyes met his and her intense stare seemed to burn right through him. "Of course not." She whispered and he could feel her sudden surprise, her growing nervousness. "I am not accustomed to people being this _direct_." She swallowed but she held his stare.

Pax smiled, dropping his hand to his side. "Get used to it." He backed away, admiring the slight blush in her cheeks before turning on his heel and heading out towards the foyer.

***

Kyp had expected Nikk's lifestyle to be of higher standard so he wasn't surprised when he entered the mansion the former Jedi called his home. Kriss, on the other hand, gaped at all the shiny and twinkly stuff and the moment the boy had reached out to touch the small statues, Kyp had snapped at him. "_Don't. Touch. Anything_."

"This place is amazing." Kriss had breathed, completely awed by his surroundings. Kyp didn't feel comfortable with this kind of luxury. It didn't feel right – out of place in his world of constant elbowing and fighting.

Nikk had two uniformed staff members bring their belongings to their rooms, while he prattled on about the mansion, about how his new job was worse than he'd ever imagined and that's when Kyp tuned out. He wasn't interested in Nikk's incessant nagging but the actual reason he stopped listening, was a tingle that crept up his spine and settled in the middle of his chest. With invisible fingers, it gripped around his heart – he took a quick breath when a sudden rush of adrenaline shot through his veins.

Strangely, the feeling was familiar. Every time something surprising came up, something he hadn't expected, Kyp would get edgy. Maybe as a reflex, who knew, but this time, he even found it a bit disconcerting because he felt nervous as well.

He made out light footsteps behind him and for a moment, he thought it was someone from the staff until he felt the Force flicker around him. As if a valve had opened, he perceived a multitude of emotions, a thick and chaotic tangle of feelings so strong, they made him suck in a breath.

The undercurrent was familiar, though. _Very_ familiar. Although her presence was a surprise, he cracked a little smile and turned around.

Liz arched a brow as she fought back a smile of her own, crossing her arms in front of her chest nonchalantly, as if seeing him after six long months wasn't a big deal at all. She was fooling herself, of course, because it _was_ a big kriffing deal. She cleared her throat as she stepped closer, holding his green gaze while an evil giggle tried to surface.

She fought it, not wanting him to know how relieved she really was, how happy she was that he was there but above all, that he was okay. That was the worst part of being separated for a prolonged time – not knowing if he was all right.

"About time you showed up." She said softly, her voice barely audible in the grand foyer of the mansion. From the corner of her eye, she saw Nikk explaining something of value to Kriss whose eyes were wide with wonder. Nikk's security guards stood near the double doors of the entrance, staring straight ahead into nothingness.

Kyp took a step towards her, his smile having turned into a little smirk. Inwardly, Liz sighed and she imagined it sounded dreamy and cute – all fluffy and fuzzy, just the way she felt.

"Well, you know how it." He said, standing only bare inches away from her. The distance was still too great, Liz thought, so she took another step forward. She could feel warmth radiating off his skin, she could smell the spicy cologne she loved so much and if he'd lean down just a little, she could have grabbed him around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss.

She didn't.

Instead, she bit the inside of her cheek to keep the giggle monster at bay.

"Having to save all those damsels in distress, having to save the galaxy all on my own – things like this require quite an amount of my time." The smirk turned into a trademark grin, the one that always made her knees wobbly and her insides turn into goo. He placed his hands on her hips and pulled her forward but still Liz resisted the urge to hug him, kiss him – or better yet, to strangle him for leaving her without a single message for half a damned year.

"Is that so?" She whispered, swallowing as her heart sped up as if it was suddenly powered by a miniature sublight engine.

"Of course." He said in a husky tone and all of a sudden proximity alarms went off in her head, all at once and all of them extraordinarily loud. He was so close suddenly…

Liz unfolded her arms and laid her hands atop his arms. She breathed out on a sigh and smiled ever so slightly, willing the giggle monster back as far as it would go. There was no way she'd mess up this lovely moment with a stupid girly attack of the giggles.

No. Way.

"But you know what?" Liz had to strain to hear his words and she shivered when he leaned forward, his lips brushing along her ear. She closed her eyes, wishing the foyer were empty – wishing they were somewhere else entirely, somewhere completely private. "All the while, my thoughts were with you." He placed a lingering kiss on her neck. "I've missed you, Liz."

In her minds' eye, she was a puddle of drool at his feet and melting still with two big brown eyes batting lashes.

_Pathetic. I am a sap._

"I've missed you, too." She croaked, finally letting go. She'd expected a sparkling laugh to bubble out of her throat but instead she was surprised to find tears blurring her sight. Liz took a deep, steadying breath, gripping Kyp's arms as if to make sure he was real.

He touched his forehead against hers, cupping the side of her face with his hand. She wanted to say something silly to lighten up the moment, something stupid to make them both laugh but sifting through the chaos in her mind brought her absolutely nothing.

Therefore, they stood in silence, content.

***

Kriss listened intently to what Nikk said, admiring every detail and wondering what it would be like to trade in the simple life of a Jedi trainee for the life Nikk led. If he'd voiced these thoughts aloud, he suspected he would have needed to duck fast and keep out of reach.

He whirled around at a sudden pounding sound and was surprised to see Jedi Orlon coming down the staircase. It seemed like this was more than a little friendly get together if Pax was around. Kriss had only dared talk to him once while Pax had still been at the academy and that one time had scared the bejibbers out of him. If there was one man in the galaxy whose mere glance could melt durasteel, then it was Pax'.

"How about you tell us what's going on here so we can get back to the work we're being paid for?" Pax asked in his growly deep voice, staring at Nikk as if he were a critter worthy of a squashing underneath his large boots. Evidently, the two men didn't like each other because Nikk's glower almost rivaled Pax'.

Kriss glanced over at Kyp and his eyes widened a fraction. He hadn't even noticed Liz and he was surprised to see her there in the first place. Obviously, Kyp was a happy man, going by the smile on his face – a smile Kriss wasn't accustomed to.

It was almost scary.

There was something akin to relief on Kyp's face when he met Pax' stare and to Kriss' amazement, Pax seemed to relax just a little bit. Their mutual albeit fractional nod passed by in just mere seconds and Kriss couldn't help but wonder what it meant – secret sign language. He grinned at the thought.

"Follow me and I'll get right to it." Nikk said, gesturing down a winding hall that seemed to snake around the huge staircase. "I'll even spare you all the gruesome details and get right to the good stuff."

Pax nodded, stuffing his thick hands into the pockets of his pants. "Go right ahead."

The security guards tensed, their anticipation was palpable. Even without the Force, Kriss would have felt their apprehension. Who _wouldn't_ get nervous when Pax was around?

Nikk led the way down the hall, his guards trailing them closely. No one talked. Kyp and Liz held hands as they walked – so odd seeing him giddy –, Pax walked like a man who didn't _want_ to be where he was while Nikk seemed to be completely at peace with himself. Somehow, Kriss felt it was only a mask. If he'd truly been so calm, he wouldn't have called the other Jedi.

A wonderful smell tickled Kriss' nose and he raised his brows. It smelled delicious, whatever it was. He pictured different sorts of cooked meat and vegetables, fruits and sweets for deserts – yeah, this was too good to be true.

They walked into a brightly lit cavern of a chamber. An enormous round table stood in the middle, set with so many different sorts of foodstuff! Kriss had to remind himself to close his mouth – how embarrassing if he'd start slobbering all over himself.

"Whoa." He breathed.

Kriss heard Nikk chuckle behind him and the other man laid a hand on his shoulder. "Take a seat, Kriss and enjoy."

Well, he wouldn't be told twice. And he even managed to ignore the gloomy look Kyp shot him as he pulled a chair out from underneath the table, sat down and began decking his plate with anything he could put his fingers on.

The first half hour was spent with light talking, a few jokes here and there, tons of jabs and banter between all of them – even Pax chimed in once in a while. The light mood shifted downward when he mentioned the knife episode with Liz, though.

Kyp took a sip from a crystal goblet and raised his brows in a questioning gesture. "'Scuse me?" He asked, making a face as if he'd swallowed something rotten.

"What? She didn't tell you she freaked out on me?" Pax asked while biting off a piece of bread.

"I was going to get to that." Liz piped up, leaning back in the padded and very comfortable chair. "Eventually." She added as an afterthought, avoiding looking at anyone at the table.

She felt Kyp's stare and she groaned.

_Thanks, Pax!_ She thought grimly_. Now tonight's going to be all about talking…_

She refrained from pouting but still it annoyed her to no end that Pax hadn't given her the opportunity to tell Kyp herself, to actually get the chance and explain herself.

Liz shifted her gaze to the side and was taken aback by the hard look in Kyp's eyes. The way his jaw was set, the way the skin around his eyes crinkled just a bit – yeah…_talking_. Until she passed out from exhaustion.

Great.

She rubbed her temples and sighed, hoping they'd drop the matter. Nikk, the great buddy that he was, saved her by clearing his throat and throwing a white napkin atop the table.

"So." He said, clearing his throat and blowing out a breath. Could it actually be that cocky Nikk was nervous? "I've mentioned this is a personal matter. A political matter as well, actually." He sat up straight, resting his elbows on the table while folding his hands. "My cousin – the rank bastard – is trying to kill me." Nikk shrugged. "It's nothing new in my world of deceit and lies. Basically, he wants my title and I'm not willing to give it up. If I die an untimely – and no doubt gruesome– death, he would automatically take my place. So, for obvious reasons he wants me dead."

"You want us to protect you?" Pax asked with a wrinkled brow.

Nikk snorted. "Yeah, right. I don't _need_ your protection. What I need is your help getting my sister back."

They could have cut through the thick, ensuing silence with a knife.

"You have a sister?" Kriss asked quietly.

"We really don't know _anything_ about you, do we?" Liz asked, narrowing her eyes slightly.

"Honestly, I didn't even know I had a sister up until a few weeks ago." Nikk shrugged, rubbing his chin with his thumb. "My perfect father had an affair. I don't know with whom, all I know is that the woman conceived and fearing my father, she left. I've been getting messages and little pointers for the past few months and among all this mysterious information there's a picture of a little girl. Nine or ten years old maybe. She's being held at my cousin's estate. I don't know if she's there willingly, if she lives there, if they've locked her up – I have absolutely no clue. And that's where I need your help."

"Well, this doesn't sound too hard." Liz said. "We could gather more information and –"

"It's not about the information." Kyp cut in, holding on to the crystal goblet with one hand. "You have your sources of information at your cousins' estate."

Nikk nodded but he didn't say a word.

Again, there was a moment of silence, while Liz looked from Kyp to Nikk, from Kriss to Pax and back again.

"You want us to kidnap her." Kyp said in a low, controlled voice.

Nikk nodded.

And that's when the shouts started.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Five: You're kidding, right?**

It took a _long_ while for the boys to finally calm down a notch. That's when Liz could actually _hear_ her own thoughts echo through her mind. In the wake of things they really did seem like bickering little boys. Liz pursed her lips at the thought, imagining them running around with wooden clubs bashing their heads in. Or trying to, at any rate.

Kriss was the only one who sat back simply enjoying the show. She smiled at him, rolling her eyes skyward and making crazy faces, which got her a little chuckle. Even though the so-called grown-ups had gone back to talking civilly – minus the banter between Nikk and Pax, of course – they kept swaying off the subject.

Liz played around with her desert, a few pieces of oddly shaped fruit on the plate in front of her, topped with a sweet, white sauce, the kind you could bathe in because it tasted so delicious. The food had been spectacular and she felt like she could burst apart – which was quite an ugly picture, if you had a vivid imagination.

Clearing her throat loudly and receiving absolutely no reaction at all, Liz pushed away from the table and stood. And still the arguing boys ignored her. How odd that she felt like a mother having to knock sense into those she would expect to have some.

Darn it! She could have already been in bed snuggling under soft, expensive blankets!

_Idiot boys_.

"You may shut up now." Liz said in an average sing-song tone, knowing it wouldn't get her anywhere but she wanted to test her theory anyway. Sighing and glancing at Kriss, she shrugged. "Fine. Have it your way."

Liz turned around and jumped onto the fancy dinner chair. Nikk stopped talking in mid-sentence when he realized she was standing on his furniture wearing _heels_.

Dents…dear Force! Dents in the upholstery! The horror!

Liz snickered.

Smiling to herself, she took it a step higher.

Figuratively.

Her boots clicked on the glossy black table while she stepped around plates still filled with food, goblets of wine still half full. Huh…Pax hadn't even touched his dinner, she noticed rather absent-mindedly.

The dining chamber grew quiet instantly. Liz pivoted on her foot, her boot squeaking on the slick surface of the table, walked back a couple of steps and did the whole thing twice more – with a tiny dance routine in between – before Kyp finally asked the question she'd been waiting for.

"What are you _doing_?" His green eyes widened just a fraction but she was very pleased to notice the mischievous twinkle hiding behind a poor attempt at shock.

"Making you shut up. What does it look like?" She crouched down before Kyp and winked at him. He chuckled slightly, lips quirking up into a full blown grin while he eyed her curiously. Liz laughed and tweaked the tip of his nose with a finger.

"Will you get your big butt off my table? _Now_?"

Liz looked over her shoulder at a very surly looking Nikk. His brows were up almost to his hairline while he glared vibroblades at her – no, not her. At her heels scratching the table.

Oops.

"Big butt?" She glowered at him. "Oh, Nikki! You don't really think my butt's too big, do you?" She squealed in a mock perturbed voice, all the while making sure she had a sweet little grin in place. She turned back to Kyp and shoved her lower lip forward into a very convincing pout. "Nikki said I have a big butt! Can I shoot him?"

Kyp laughed good-naturedly. "Not in public, sweetheart."

"Get down now!" Nikk yelled suddenly, jumping up off his seat and, quicker than she expected he could move he stood in front of her, scowling with all he was worth.

"You look so cute when you're angry." Liz whispered.

"Liz, _get down_." Kyp's soft voice drifted through the sudden quietness enveloping them. Liz pursed her lips and sighed. It would have made her day to irritate Nikk some more but she didn't feel like being thrown out onto the street. And she knew he _would_ do it. Nikk would slip into the hardest, pointiest boots he owned and painfully kick her out of the mansion if she took it too far.

"Fine." Liz whispered, rolling her eyes. Kyp sat forward and took her outstretched hands into his, pulling her onto his lap with a little tug. Liz laughed, settling in nicely for a few seconds, simply enjoying Kyp's undivided attention. At least the plan of making the boys shut up had worked perfectly. Nikk took a step back but glowered at her once their eyes met.

"What the hell was that?"

"To get you guys to listen, obviously." She shrugged, clasping her hands in front of her like a good little Jedi, while she sat on Kyp's lap. "It's so hard to get a word in sideways when you're too busy being full of yourself, you know?" Liz held up a hand when Nikk wanted to reply. "I'm not finished talking yet."

Pax laughed deep in his throat and took a large swing from his wine goblet before he sat back and took on a very comfortable pose. "Now this – this'll be _very_ interesting."

Kyp smiled and pinched Liz in her side. She yelped a gurgle of a laugh before she slipped off his lap. He got up and stepped around her then, placing himself between Liz and Nikk, knowing that if they got into a verbal fight, it would be bad enough. A physical altercation – well, he didn't even want to think about that. Liz would no doubt exploit the fact that Nikk would never dare harm a hair on her head.

He'd try to strangle her instead.

"So anyway." Liz continued, completely unfazed by Kyp being something of a protective barrier. Admittedly, Nikk did look _slightly_ pissed. And wearing all that fancy cloth and being as tall as he was, she could finally see why some people were afraid of him. Naturally, she wasn't though. She knew who she was dealing with so she wasn't worried. "I think you have more of a problem on your hands than you think."

"So I've noticed. I was stupid enough to let you on my property!"

"Oh, sweetie. You invited me here."

"I'm wondering if I was sane at the time."

"Children, behave!" There was humor in Kyp's voice. Too much humor for Nikk's taste it seemed. The Count drew his lips into a fine thin line, narrowing blue eyes in the other Jedi's direction.

"I'm actually serious here, Nikk." Liz said, all laughter and smiles erased from her face. "I overheard a conversation earlier this evening. I didn't see their faces only heard their voices. Among other things." A grin swept her features and she began rubbing her neck. "A man and a woman. Seemed they were…uh…_practicing_." Liz shrugged. "Anyway, he gave her something to place in some chambers. They didn't specify. But what let the alarm bells go off was the fact that he said it was nearly untraceable and he warned her that the Jedi had already arrived. And she wanted to place this _thing_ in the chambers by tomorrow morning. No clue which rooms she meant, though."

Nikk took a step back and rubbed at his goatee. He didn't speak at all, just stared forward with bleak eyes. After a long minute, Liz actually felt worried for him. "You okay?"

"I am so fed up with idiots trying to kill me. It's getting old. And they're so sloppy about it." Sighing, Nikk ripped his gaze from where ever he'd been staring and set on his every-day smile. "I'll have the Chief of Security look into it." He ran a hand through his hair. "I'll be right back. In the meantime, please try not to destroy any more of my furniture." He turned to leave but pivoted on his heel. "And by the way, you're paying for those scratches." Nikk winked at her before he left.

Liz laughed.

****

About ten minutes later a cleaning crew came in to clear off the table. Kriss watched with muted eyes as they dragged the delicious food away. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been so full but still he could have shoved another half plate down his throat. He was tempted to call them back with a refill. And maybe he would have, had Kyp not cleared his throat in that annoying manner Kriss so despised. He made the sound when he wanted Kriss to listen and listen well because there was a chance he might learn something.

There was nothing to learn when he was lusting after food. Kriss wrinkled his nose, crossed his arms in front of his chest and slumped in his chair, looking just like the teenager he really was. A sulking teenager who had to witness the cleaning crew clear up what he wanted most.

More delicious food.

Life really wasn't fair sometimes.

"So. Mind explaining about this knife attack thing?" Kyp asked Liz and Pax into the thick silence, tapping a finger on the tabletop.

It was quite interesting from Kriss' point of view. Pax sat up straight with an arched brow and he seemed to be hiding a grin. Liz played with a strand of her hair and stared at it with so much concentration, that Kriss thought he saw a vein pop up on her forehead. Neither one of them answered Kyp's question, though.

It was obvious that his mentor was annoyed.

And what a relief!

It wasn't Kriss' fault this time. That little fact actually made him crack a smile.

Kyp turned around halfway and with a little sigh, he sat facing the wall. "Hello wall." He muttered under his breath. "Just as fine I talk with you since the sentient beings in this room ignore me."

Liz chuckled, which wasn't a very bright idea, Kriss thought. It was _really_ obvious that Kyp's mood was growing sour and laughing at him – well, Kriss had done that once and it had earned him ten very long laps around the temple.

Kyp narrowed his eyes and a little smirk played around his lips. He leaned towards Liz, whispered something into her ear – something devious by the way her eyes widened suddenly – and she sucked in a breath. "You _wouldn't_."

Kyp shrugged, his smirk turning into a smile while folding his hands in his lap. For a moment, there was another lapse of silence but of a different kind. It wasn't the awkward kind, it was the kind of silence when you waited for something to happen, you just didn't know what and you didn't know when.

"You know, for a Jedi you're evil." Liz hissed at him, her cheeks suddenly glowing a bright red. How interesting, Kriss thought. Within seconds, she'd gone from her cheery self to a very angry dark-haired fury.

"What am I missing here?" Pax asked, leaning forward and propping his elbows onto the table. He inclined his head towards Kyp in a questioning gesture. "What did you say to her that's gotten her so angry?"

"None of your damned business." Liz snapped at him, sitting up straight and glowering back and forth between Kyp and Pax.

Kriss was amazed at them. At the academy, the other trainees and Jedi seemed so laid back and quiet – boring more or less – but being out and about with Kyp and now with the others showed him a whole new perspective and he was thoroughly enjoying it.

It was fun.

Kriss bit the inside of his cheek as he felt a laugh bubbling up but by the looks of things, he supposed it wouldn't be wise to have a very manly teenage fit of the giggles.

"You know, I think you should be nicer to me." Pax said, stretching his arms into the air before folding his hands behind his head. "I mean, I _was_ the one who watched out for you whenever we were off world."

Kriss' eyes darted across the table towards Liz. With one brow arched, it was evident she was slightly confused by Pax' statement.

"_Pax_." Even though Kyp's tone was soft, the spoken name was a definite warning. Kriss hid a smile when Liz turned towards Kyp very, very slowly. There was a whole lot of _what-the-heck?_ plastered all over her face. "Huh?"

Pax smiled. "Keeping you out of trouble should be a full time job."

"What's he talking about?" Liz jerked a thumb in Pax' direction but her gaze was fixated on the man sitting next to her. The man who seemed to be fidgeting. Kriss' eyes widened a fraction – who'd have guessed Kyp could fidget?

"Nothing we need to get into now. It's not important."

Liz snorted. "Of course it's not." She turned her attention back to Pax who seemed rather smug. "What's going on?"

Pax shrugged. "Just what I said. I made sure you didn't accidently kill yourself."

"I don't –" Her frown evaporated when understanding dawned. She looked from Kyp to Pax and back again, shaking her head slightly. "You're kidding, right?"

Kyp sighed and rubbed at his eyes. He seemed exhausted, tired – just like the rest of them. Hardly the best of moods to be getting into an argument. "I simply asked him to watch out for you. That's all."

"You're not – you're not kidding." For the first time in what seemed like years, Liz was speechless. "You asked Pax to _spy on me_?"

"No." Kyp put as much firmness into the single word as he could. "I asked him to watch out for you. There's a big difference."

With a suddenness that surprised all of them, Liz pushed away from the table. "I can't believe you." Her voice was nothing more but a soft whisper, laced with a deep anger and even a little disappointment. "How many times do I have to tell you I can take care of myself? How many more times do I have to prove it?"

Kyp got up and faced her. This wasn't what he had expected after a six months absence. He didn't want to fight with her but he knew eventually it would have come to this. "It's not about that, Liz. I _know_ you can take care of yourself. It's just –"

"You know what?" She threw her hands up into the air, defeated, tired – completely drained. "I really don't care right now. I'm…angry…that you felt the need to have Pax _look after me_. I'm going to go and – yeah, whatever." Liz turned on her heel and headed for the exit, leaving a brooding and silent Kyp behind. Her steps echoed in the grand chamber, the door sliding shut behind her silently.

"Dammit." Kyp muttered under his breath before he stalked after her, hoping to catch up to explain his actions and mend things. He really didn't want to fight with her.

Kriss watched Kyp leave while he sat alone with Pax, wondering what Nikk would say once he returned and realized half his guests had already left.

"Is this the part where I have to say _oops_?" Pax called with a grin, before the door closed behind Kyp.


End file.
